Dreams of Absolution
by Lordoftheghostking28
Summary: The future...is it really doomed to end in Flames? What about an alternate future? Why is this happening? How is this happening? Nothing seems real anymore... My friend Holly can see the Flames. Or...is she somehow summoning them from her dreams? Like she summoned Silver?
1. Chapter 1

**Dreams of Absolution **

**XxXxXxXx**

**JACK **

I thought my day couldn't get any worse.

To begin it, I woke up in a cold sweat around five thirty. The dream I had had was still lingering in the back of my mind...so vivid as though it really had happened to me.

I was in the woods. The ones back behind my house. I don't go there in the wintertime, but my dreams don't stop from taking me there. I went through the wall of trees to a small clearing, where I sometimes did my homework in the early fall and late spring. But instead of the normal tree stump I sat on, there was a rock. A rock covered in something dark coloured. Something that had to be blood.

I ran a hand through my short brown hair and dismissed the dream. After all, it was exactly that: a dream. They don't mean anything.

I couldn't shake the horror after that. I lost a precious hour of sleep just staring at myself in the bathroom mirror, trying to think of anything else. My green-brown eyes just stared blankly at me, offering nothing to take my mind away.

I was distracted the rest of the day; nearly missing my bus, failing a geometry test and forgetting my chemistry notes were just a few of my blunders. Perhaps my uneasyness wore off towards my friend. On the bus home she sat behind me and sort of drilled holes in the back of my head with her eyes, which was her way of using some demonic psychic power to see into my soul. Seriously, this girl was good at reading emotions.

"Ay, Jack. You all right? You seem sort of distracted." she said in her odd, personalized accent.

I just shook my head. "Nothing, Holly."

Holly was odd, even by teenager standards. She never wore anything low cut... I personally didn't know if she even owned anything low cut...and just mostly wore T-shirts with video game characters on them. She always had her hair back in a ponytail, a black and red pen forming an X in the scrunchie. She wore huge, '90's black rimmed glasses and had a rather noticeable overbite. She had been my friend since the first day of freshman year. The crazy thing was we lived on the same street, five houses away from each other, and we didn't know the other existed until we sort of exchanged awkward glances at each other on the bus. Thus, our equally awkward friendship began.

"But you're never this way. Why start now? You've had a bad day. I can tell. Don't worry, they happen to me too." she flashed me her overbite grin and pushed her thick, black rimmed glasses on her nose. "So what happened? Fail a test?"

"Part of it." I sighed.

"Ey? What else?"

"Just minor things. But they added up quickly." I said.

"Like what?"

"Well, I had a dream."

"I have dreams too." she said.

"You know that clearing I do homework in? Instead of a tree stump, there was a rock. It was covered in blood. It greatly disturbed me. The end." I said curtly.

"Ah," she nodded.

"Know what it means?" I asked.

"Not really, no." she shook her head.

We got off the bus at our stop and walked the short distance towards our houses. Holly was the one seeming a bit distant now...perhaps remembering dreams of her own.

Or perhaps it was because of the manor I spoke to her in. Her parents always yelled. She had taken to locking herself in her room every waking moment when she wasn't at school. Well, either that or visiting me. I can't even begin to count the many Mario Kart races we played in silence. She had two brothers that were treated like kings...maybe her parents wanted a third son instead of a daughter. But I don't know. I wouldn't ever ask her either.

"D'you ever dream of...uh...the end of the world?" Holly asked suddenly.

"Like how it's going to end? Sometimes. I've always pictured water and earthquakes demolishing the place." I said.

"That's not how it's gunna happen." Holly said. "It'll be burned. Fires sweeping across the continents and wiping out everything. There will be no more water. No more anything."

The way she spoke of this was almost as if she knew what was coming. "How do you know?"

"I just know." she said, stopping in the middle of the street and pulling her coat around her. She shivered violently from the cold. "The same way I knew about my church too."

With that, she turned and headed towards her dreary, two story house; leaving me to head to mine. I always suspected that Holly was some sort of a psychic. When she was five, she dreamed her church had caught fire. Five years later, her dream came true although some things had changed. In the dream it had burned to the ground and started in the electrical wiring. In reality it was saved and started by some still-burning incense. There were other bizarre dreams she had...

She once saw a bird as blue as the clear sky. Three days later it showed up, dead, on her front doorstep. She dreamed of horrors like car accidents and avoided the roads as much as she could. I remember her telling me about one that left six people killed. Not three hours later did it come true. Six dead...one wounded. But what really worried me was the possible fact she was seeing the end of the world. Would it come soon? And was she right about the fires?

I shook these thoughts from my head and walked around my house back to my stump. It was covered in snow, but I brushed it off and sat, opening my backpack and grabbing my history book. But my thoughts weren't exactly on the Roman and Ottoman empires at the moment. In fact, I suspected I was being watched.

"Holly?" I turned, expecting to find her there. Instead, just a lone tree stood. I turned back to my book, feigning interest. But the feeling wouldn't shake. I eventually stood and walked in the general direction of where I thought my follower was. No footprints were visible until I rounded a tree. It hadn't snowed for days, so these tracks could be who knows how old. They were small too, like a child's. With a very odd sole pattern to them, I observed. They were smeared, like whoever it was had been in a rush.

And that...was that berry juice of some kind...?

I followed the tracks a bit more, coming to a part of the forest I rarely visited. Rocks lined the outer clearing, but one in particular caught my attention.

The memory of my dream came back full force. The blood on the rock...it looked almost as it had in my head. The only exception was that it spread to some of the neighboring rocks slightly. The footprints were still continuing on. They were even more smeared and uncoordinated, and in one place it looked as though a small person put their hand out in front of them to stop their fall into the cold snow. I quickened my pace. Even though I didn't know what lay ahead, I kept going.

The tracks finally stopped at the base of an old, dead oak tree. It was one of the largest I have seen; one of the broadest. In the base of its trunk was a large hole, probably enough to shelter a large cat or dog. It was occupied by something completely not of this Earth.

Patches of the white fur that fluffed up against the cold were matted down with dried blood. The white spines that trailed from the creature's back and head were lying flat as its ears, a look of fear in its golden eyes. Its legs and arms were drawn up to its chest to try to conserve heat, but that didn't stop it from shivering violently. A torn cloth was wrapped around its arm; the source of the blood flow. I knew who this creature was. And yet I couldn't believe it.

Holly had recently told me about another dream, this one involving the last person I would have expected. She had been addicted to the Sonic the Hedgehog games for a good four years, and only just had a clear, frightening dream. She had dreamed that Silver was ripped from his homeworld and flung across the galaxy. He had landed in a restricted research lab's property, and they wasted no time in capturing him and beginning experimentation. She had come to me in tears the next morning, describing what she had seen.

Well, at least I could tell her that Silver somehow escaped. If Holly could somehow control the future by dreaming, then I was going to make her an insomniac. But until I actually get a chance to show her all the 'Paranormal Activity' movies, she had better not have a dream about me.

Silver and I had a mini staredown. He eventually shied away from my look of astonishment and curled tighter into a ball, shaking so hard the dead tree branches were trembling.

"Silver...? I'm not going to hurt you..." I started a bit awkwardly. Silver's head snapped up from where he was curled, a look of astonishment on his face.

"H...how do you know my name? Who are you?"

"I'm Jack. And it's a long story. But there's someone I want you to meet." I said. "Can you walk?"

Silver shook his head, not taking his eyes off of me. I noticed the blue markings on the backs and fronts of his hands were dulled.

"I was lucky to make it this far." he admitted, still shaking violently.

"Here..." I unzipped my rather loose fitting coat and took a couple of steps towards him, taking it off as I went. The cold air stung, but I ignored it.

"No! Don't come near me!" Silver shouted. "I have power you can't imagine!"

"But you can't use it, can you?" I asked, still making my way towards him, my coat held out to the shivering form. "You're too weak. Please, you've got to trust me."

Once again, Silver fixed me with a shocked look. "Wha...you're one of them, aren't you?!"

"I'm with no one." I held the coat out to him, but he knocked it away and tried to run.

His leg gave out three steps from the tree and he landed in a patch of iced over snow, trying to bite back his shout. I only sat and watched his futile efforts, pity coursing through me. If I could just get him inside somewhere, I could try to address the damage the scientists had done to him...

**XxXxXxXx**

**Whoo, another story!**

**This is actually a really lame prologue to what I hope to be a really great story. It starts off slow, but believe me, it's going to get better as I go along. Reviews help too, though. Jack and Holly are my two new OCs, and if their story works out well I might do something else with them. Don't worry, I'll keep writing my other two stories too!**

**Seriously, though, epic story on the way. **

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 **

**XxXxXxXx **

**HOLLY'S POV  
**

**XxXxXxXx**

Lucky for me, my parents were out for the day. I had the house to myself. Finally.I wasted no time in playing video games. It was the only way I could forget about everything. I was a master at what I played. It was the only thing I could ever have domain over.

Besides, blowing zombie brains out helps reduce stress.

It seemed as though I had only been playing for five minuets when the front doorbell rang. I got up and sighed, heading to get it with a lame, "I'm coming..."

I opened it to see Jack. He wasn't wearing a coat and his lips had a bluish tint to them. His coat was bundled in his arms, around something gray white and deathly still. "Holly, we've got to help him." Jack pleaded, his voice shaking with cold. "You were right. He was pulled from his world. He was experimented on. But he escaped. We've got to help him. You know more about him than I do..."

"Get in here." I commanded, pulling him into the house. I quickly shut the door and then retrieved the coat bundle from him. Silver's muzzle was pale, almost blue. The tips of his ears were worse, but his fingers were saved from his gloves. I held him close to me, but didn't even feel him shivering.

"Jack, get some hot chocolate or something. I'll take care of him." I said, leaving Jack in the middle of the hallway and heading towards the main room. I unzipped Jack's coat from Silver and held him close to me, trying to transfer warmth he so desperately needed. Jack only watched, not moving from the kitchen until the limp form in my arms gave a weak cough. I held him until he began to shiver, satisfied I had contributed to the life-saving. I began to pile pillows and blankets around him on the couch. I glanced at my quick handiwork and then dashed off towards my room, where I retrieved an extra blanket just in case.

I came back down the stairs to find Jack holding a mug of hot chocolate, still shivering but otherwise fine.

"Where was he?" I demanded, spreading the final blanket over Silver's still form.

"He was by the rock I saw in my dream...well...sort of. There was a rock he must have brushed up against..." he sighed.

"I can't believe this's happened." I muttered. "He was really taken from his world...I wonder what Blaze thinks's going on."

" 'Thinks's'?" Jack snickered.

"Be quiet." I growled, slugging him in his arm playfully. "Now...are you gunna help me help him, or what?"

"Sure." Jack put his hot chocolate down and followed me to the medicine cabinet. I handed him disinfectant and a small first aid kit, which he held until I found something suitable for a decent bandage. I sat on the edge of the couch and peeled the blankets away from Silver's injured arm. His bloodsoaked bandage was old...possibly two or more days. I carefully cut it off with a pair of tiny scissors to clean and inspect it. Jack handed me a cloth soaked in warm water and I carefully began removing the clotted blood on and around the worst of Silver's wound. As I did so, an object caught my eye.

"Look. It looks like tree bark..." I held up a small piece of wood that had stuck to his fur. "Splintered bark..."

I kept cleaning Silver's wound, trying to get a good look at the damage that had been done. I found another splinter not much later and quickly removed it, finally clearing the injury out enough to get a look at it. "Jack..." I pointed with the pair of tweezers I had used to get the splinters out. "Look... It's almost as though he took a stick and did this himself."

The wound was ragged and deep enough to worry me a little, still oozing blood. Almost as though a sharp stick had been forced into his arm...as though...

"It looks as though he dug something out." Jack completed my thought. "Dug something out of his arm."

"Good Chaos." I muttered. I didn't know how to sew wounds, but there was some bandages that looked strong enough to keep him from bleeding out. I quickly bandaged his wound and cleaned up the supplies I had used while Jack tucked Silver's arm back underneath the blankets.

"Holly, if he did escape from a lab..." Jack said. "Then how did he get here? That would mean that there's a lab around here somewhere. I mean...when I found him, he didn't look as though he had teleported over here or something. His powers must be drained or they went to keeping him warm for this long."

I put the medical supplies away and discarded the bloodied rags. "Did he have any other noticeable injury?" I asked, washing my hands under scalding hot water.

"His leg." Jack said. "He tried to run, but his left leg gave out underneath him."

I walked back towards the couch and sat on the end, near Silver's feet. I folded back the blanket so I could examine his left leg, which on sight didn't look very injured. I traced the bone up to his knee, where I found the damage. It was swollen and radiating heat. His kneecap didn't feel right at all. Upon comparison with his other, I guessed it was cracked.

"Great. Now he can't walk." Jack sighed. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet. Right now we've just got to keep him still and warm." I sighed, tucking the blanket back over Silver.

He twitched slightly, his head rolling to the side as a soft moan escaped his throat. I smoothed back the quills on his head, still slightly in awe that this was happening.

"What now?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. My parents and brothers won't be home for three hours." I said, glancing at a clock. "For now...let's get some homework done."

**XxXxXxXx**

_I had been in the lab for little over a month. They wasted no time in examining me day after day; running test after test. I was exhausted, but I could barely sleep at night due to fear. I was fed hardly anything. Water was also scarce._

_ I could remember the first day I first landed at the lab. The first nightmarish day. I was thrown through the universe and onto a patch of land. A building stood in the distance, so I made my way towards it. The next thing I knew, something stuck into my arm. Something that made me dizzy and light headed. I collapsed, and the men came from their shelters and dragged me into their lab. _

_It was all a haze of colour. My hearing was muted slightly due to the drug that was wrecking havoc with my senses, but I knew they were excited. About me._

_ My back was pressed against a hard table and my arms and legs belted down. I couldn't tell if I was facing up or down...I was on the verge of losing unconsciousness. A figure swam into view and something was strapped over my nose and mouth. A scent that smelled slightly of berries came from it, and the next thing I knew, I was dreaming of home. No matter how flame-barren it was. _

_I awoke some time later, my head pounding with a horrible headache and my right arm feeling as though someone shoved a white-hot poker into it. I couldn't move at all. I was tied down to a small bed, a monitor beside me emitting beeps and blips along with my heartbeat. A group of men entered the room, dressed in light green surgical scrubs from head to foot. Only their eyes were showing, behind thick glasses. They stared at me like I was some sort of prize...the looks in their eyes were horrifying. They ran tests on me that seemed to last forever, finally leaving the room and allowing me some peace._

_ But they were back. This time their eyes were more evil than the last. One held some sort of device. They disconnected me from most of the wires, taping the rest into place with a strong adhesive. They undid my bonds and I tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down. I tried again, only the strange device one of them was holding was pressed to my side. I managed a strangled gasp of pain and pulled my legs and arms towards my chest, trying to protect myself. Another shock, this time to my back. I uncurled with a scream, thrashing on the small hospital bed and trying to keep them away from me. The monitor was emitting a frantic beepbeepbeep that never seemed to end...seemed to burn into my ears so I could only hear it, their cruel laughter and my screams. _

_They kept hurting me as though they enjoyed it. Only when I was curled on my side, tears tracing their way down my muzzle with a high whine escaping my throat, did they stop. They said I had had enough. That they would continue the experiment tomorrow. That they would break me._

_ I was left in that room until the next day, when they resumed their 'experiments'. The pain this time nearly drove me to unconsciousness. I had pleaded with them, but they were deaf to my cries. They had done it in the name of science, to see how I registered pain. On the third day I lost consciousness after five minuets. On the fourth I didn't even resist them._

_ On the fifth they labeled me as, 'Broken', and that their testing trials were a success. They didn't hurt me much anymore, but I still obeyed their every word. If I refused to lie still for a scan or something of the sort, they would belt me down and drive me near darkness with pain..._

** XxXxXxXx **

I glanced up from the chemistry homework I was supposed to be doing. Silver was moaning, thrashing around slightly on the couch. I set my work down and sat next to him, stroking his now feverish forehead and whispering calming sentences into his ear. He was dreaming, that much was certain. A nightmare induced probably both by his past and the fever he was quickly developing.

Jack just watched, a worried look on his face. "Is there some kind of medicine we can give him?"

"I don't know." I responded. "I don't want to make this situation worse."

Silver whimpered again, kicking with his uninjured leg and knocking a pillow to the floor. I held his hand, continuing talking to him in a soft voice.

Something around his neck caught my eye. It looked like some sort of metal collar, hidden in his fur. I brushed some of Silver's downy fluff away from it, a bit surprised to find a dog tag connected to it. It was red, with the number 00372918-89 on it. Underneath the number was the initial 'E'. I guessed it was for 'Extraterrestrial'. Silver had clutched my wrist as I held the tag, trying to read it. His eyes were squeezed shut, teeth barred in a small snarl. His ears were flat on his head along with his quills. I escaped from his grasp and he turned onto his side away from Jack and I, legs drawn up close to his chest.

"He probably thought you were a scientist in his subconscious." Jack suggested.

"So what are we gunna do with him?" I asked. "Where are we gunna put him during the days while we're at school?"

"Tomorrow's Friday, right?" Jack asked. "I'll stay at my house with him as long as you bring me my homework. My parents will be gone all day...it shouldn't be a probablem."

"What about tonight?" I asked. "We'd have to somehow transfer him to your place."

"We just have to act natural...put him in my coat again. It's really the only way."

I nodded slowly, rolling my eyes. "I see no way in which this could go wrong."

** XxXxXxXx **

_ I was given a place that resembled a jail cell as a 'home'. There was a pillow in the corner, the only thing I had for sleeping on. I didn't protest. It was lumpy, uncomfortable and smelled of disinfectant, but it was better than the cold, stone floor. I fell asleep immediately after lying down. _

_I was awoken later by something wrapping around my neck. I violently moved away from a human, pressing my back into the wall and staring at them, scared from my rude awakening. There were three of them, one dressed in scrubs and the others in suits, writing something down. The one in scrubs was talking to the other two about me being 'highly dangerous and feral' and 'that was why he put the collar on'._

_ I tugged at the metallic thing around my neck, a bit worried to find it uncomfortably tight. He drew something out of his pocket and said, "Watch." _

_He pressed a button._

_ I screamed, collapsing and thrashing on the stone floor, tearing at the collar around my neck. The pain was so intense...the lights were dimming themselves...I couldn't breathe... And then it stopped._

_ I curled into a ball on my side, shaking and whimpering. The two humans in suits just nodded, writing something down. The one in scrubs grinned and stood, leading the two out of my prison. _

_I cried after that. I wanted to see Blaze again. I wanted to go home. _

**XxXxXxXx**

**Chapter 2 done! Hurray!  
**

**Interesting stuff happens in chapter 3, so keep in on this story!  
**

**Thanks, Under the Knife, for the minor details. Kinda helped me there.  
**

**Remember to review!  
**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!  
**

**Lordoftheghostking28  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3 **

**XxXxXxXx**

** JACK'S POV**

After a lot of editing to the route to my house so we wouldn't be walking in plain sight, we arrived at said destination without incident. I hesitated slightly at the door, key in my hand.

"Well? Are you going to let us freeze out here? What's wrong with you?" Holly demanded. Nestled in my coat in her arms, Silver moaned slightly.

"It's kind of funny," I chuckled nervously. "My mom wouldn't allow you in here if no one was home."

"Jack, honestly." Holly glared daggers. "Do you really think I would do...things?! Besides, this is an emergency!"

"I know." I mentally slapped myself and pulled open the door. Warm air rushed to greet us.

My room was really the only place to put Silver. I had a futon tucked away in a corner, perfect if he didn't draw any attention to himself. Holly put him down and arranged some pillows around him, the softest ones supporting his head and injured leg. "So you can take care of him tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah. How will I transfer him to you tomorrow without your parents' knowing?" I asked.

"Well..." Holly trailed off. "Hopefully he'll be awake by then. He'll have to contribute to the group effort." she smiled grimly, stroking Silver's quills back.

"Right. Don't forget my homework tomorrow, or I'll forget him." I joked. Holly just glared. "Right. Not funny." I muttered.

"If the situation wasn't so serious, I would laugh." she said. "It's just...his life could be on the line."

"I wonder if it's on the news at all." I picked up the remote for the tiny TV I had on a night stand. The picture flickered to life and I flipped to a local news channel.

I wished I hadn't.

There was indeed a report. One on a scientist that was supposedly killed by a specimen in their labs. I recognized the name of the lab, Granger Laboratory, not five miles from here.

"This is bad." Holly muttered. "They're calling in soldiers and police...pretty much everyone."

"Then we've got to be careful." I sighed.

Over on my futon, Silver moaned again, thrashing weakly. Holly stood and went over to him, a concerned look on her face. "He's burning up. You got anything we could use to try and make him more comfortable?"

"No, unless you count a cold cloth." I exited my room and entered the bathroom, where I quickly soaked a washcloth in cold water. Holly accepted it, placing it on Silver's forehead and whispering, "Shhh..."

He calmed slightly, but it was clear he was in pain, even in unconsciousness. "You should head back to your house. Your parents will be back soon... I'll take care of him." I said.

"You sure?" Holly asked.

"Of course." I responded. She stood and headed towards the door, her coat in hand.

"Ok. I'll call you or something later. On second thought...no phone. Just in case." she left, leaving me with a sick and injured hedgehog that did not belong on our world.

I stayed by Silver's side for a while, trying to soothe him when he started to thrash. His fur was unnaturally soft, especially along his head and shoulders. I guess I always thought hedgehogs were supposed to be sharp. After a while it seemed he had slipped into a different phase of sleep, his breathing becoming deeper. I stood and left my room to head down to the kitchen to see if I had anything I could use to help him recover faster.

**XxXxXxXx **

_I don't think I would have survived much longer had I not met her. I never knew her name. All I knew about her was she cared for me, dressing my wounds after "experiments" and slipping me more food when no one was watching. She had light brown hair streaked with blonde that was barely long enough to tuck behind her ears. She wore tortoiseshell glasses that outlined her blue eyes. _

_And I never once saw her smile. _

_That is, until the last day. Before my escape. _

_She had "accidentally" left my prison unlocked. I escaped into the hall, dodging security guards and everything of the sort. I managed to climb out a window into the freezing air. That surprised me; the cold in the air around me. I fluffed up my fur and ran, glancing back and nearly doing a double take. _

_She was there, staring out the window after me. _

_Smiling._

_ I didn't look back after that. The men in the lab sent guards after me, but I was smarter than them. I had heard them talk of the tracking device in my arm. As I fled, I searched for a sharp stick or rock buried in the snow. _

_I didn't have to search long. I found a sharp stick, thick enough to use without breaking it. I continued running, not daring to do it now. _

_Nightfall came quickly. I tucked myself under a bush and felt my arm for the tiny bump that gave away the device they implanted in me. I gritted my teeth and stabbed the stick in. _

_I could barely manage to stifle a cry. I wrenched the tip of the stick sharply underneath the device and lifted up. Along with a shower of blood that stained my fur, a tiny glint of metal escaped too. I had succeeded. _

_I tore part of my sock and used it as a bandage as I stumbled from my hiding place, continuing to go as fast as I possibly could. _

_It got colder that night. My power went to keeping me warm and alive; from giving in to the cold. But it was still a horrible, difficult trek. I fell down a steep hill, snow soaking my fur. I plummeted towards the bottom at a horribly fast speed, my left leg striking a tree. Something cracked, sending bolts of pain up my body. I finally came to a stop, shivering, in pain, and scared. I didn't have the energy to keep moving, but I forced myself to keep going. I couldn't walk...I had to crawl across the snowy ground, my hands and right knee going numb while I dragged my injured leg behind me. _

_I used a rock to rest against and continued on a short distance until I came to a tree. The base of its trunk was wide enough for me to slip into; a small shelter from the cold. _

_It just seemed like minuets before a boy showed up... _

**XxXxXxXx **

There was really nothing I could use from the kitchen. Only in the first aid cabinet did I find a roll of bandages, which I figured would come in handy for Silver's injured knee. I descended the stairs and entered my room to see two large golden orbs staring at me over my futon.

Silver's ears and quills were pressed back against his head, as though intimidated and scared. I put the stuff I was carrying on my bed and extended my hands so he could see I wasn't holding anything. "Hey, Silver. Relax...you're sick and you need to recover. Just take it easy, ok?"

I slowly approached him. He just held eye contact, unmoving and unblinking. "My name is Jack. This is my house. I'm going to help you, all right? But you've got to not draw attention to yourself. The people from the lab are still searching for you." I said. "Are you hungry?"

He nodded, still not breaking the eye contact. "Do you like apples? We've got a few of those."

He nodded again.

"All right, I'll be back shortly. Don't go anywhere." I headed back down to the kitchen and searched for a decent sized apple. It didn't take long to find a big green one, which I washed and carried back up to my room. Along the way, I stopped and glanced out the window. Snow was falling from the sky...a good omen. It would cover any evidence...

I descended the stairs and reentered my room.

Silver was gone.

"Uh..." I started, setting the apple on my bedside table. "Where did you go?"

A small thump in the hallway caught my attention. I ran out to find Silver limping towards the stairs, one hand against the wall to steady himself. He turned and gave me a wide eyed stare, as if daring me to come closer.

"Silver, you can't leave my house. Not yet. Please, just stay here until you've recovered." I expected him to ignore me and continue on. I didn't expect an answer from him.

"I know you are who you say you are...it's just...you radiate evil..." he stumbled, putting more weight on his injured leg and wincing. "I...it's just like at the lab..."

I managed to catch him before he would have fallen. His body was radiating heat and his breath came in short gasps. He tried to push me away, but I carried him back to my room and lay him on my futon.

"No...you...you don't understand..." he gasped.

"I'm trying to help you." I said firmly. "Silver, listen. You're sick. You need rest, all right? Try to sleep."

"Why...why does it hurt...?"

"You're injured and need to rest. Silver, please... You're delirious."

"I can't...I don't want to go back..."

"You're not going back." I didn't know what to possibly say to reassure him.

Silver's golden eyes glazed over slightly. "They...they want me back there. They want..." he trailed off.

"What?" I asked. His eyes shut and his breathing leveled. I sighed and sat on the edge of my futon, unwrapping a bit of gauze and tightening it snug around his injured knee. He didn't move in the slightest, which I estimated was good.

I turned on the TV and forced myself to watch the news about the lab.

**XxXxXxXx**

My parents got home around eight that night. I managed to keep them out of my room and leave me alone by saying I had a lot of homework. It was a slightly close call, but Silver would remain undiscovered for the night...hopefully.

The white hedgehog hadn't moved since he had fallen asleep on my futon some three hours earlier. The only movements he made were the short, sharp risings and fallings of his chest; almost as though he was gasping for breath in his sleep.

And yet, there was nothing I could do.

** XxXxXxXx**

I awoke that night at the sound of a terrified whine. I sat upright, unsure if what I heard was real or not.

My suspicions were confirmed as another soft whine came from my futon, where Silver was thrashing weakly. I stood up and walked over to him, just barely keeping him from rolling off the futon. He whimpered, clutching at the blanket that was covering him and kicking out with his good leg.

"Silver, what's wrong?" I whispered. "Shhh...you're safe here. Relax."

He was shivering, yet waves of heat rolled off of him. I took another blanket from my bed and spread it over him, eliminating some of the shivering he was doing. And then, something odd happened.

As I brushed against his hand, something flashed into my mind. A bright image...an image of a circular pattern of extremely bright lights. A bag of some liquid hung above me, a small tube trailing down out of my line of vision. Three people were peering down at me, green surgical masks hiding their faces. One of them held a small knife.

I thought I had just seen what Silver was dreaming about. And I didn't blame him for being scared out of his mind. What did those scientists do to him?!

He whined again, and I sat on the ground nearby him, stroking the fur on his head back, seeing flashes of the dreams he was dreaming every time I came in contact with him.

_ The scientist with the knife lowered it out of sight, and then they departed..._

_ Another girl had taken their place; a girl with short brown and blonde hair and tortoiseshell glasses..._

Silver had calmed slightly, not thrashing as much anymore. The girl in his dreams reached towards him and stroked his quills back, much like I was doing. Exactly as I was doing it.

Silver drew a shaky breath as a ragged purr rose from his throat. I sat there for who knows how long; listening to his comforting purr and keeping his horrifying nightmares away.

**XxXxXxXx**

It must have been close to morning.

My mom and dad were already up and preparing to leave the house at five thirty, like they always did. The back door slammed, and suddenly the dream Silver was having about an endless forest filled with snow ended abruptly. I backed away from him, watching his pale outline in the dark shift slightly.

He sat up and stared around. I could literally sense the uncertainty and fear he was feeling.

I didn't move, pretty sure he didn't know I was there. He was, after all, still disoriented and not over he worst of the fever.

"H...hello?" he said in barely a whisper. I still didn't say anything, although I sort of knew I should.

Silver swung his legs off of the futon, wincing slightly and gingerly touching the bandage on his knee. He attempted to stand on his good leg, but collapsed back down.

"Like I said before, take it easy." I said gently.

"What?! Who's there?! Show yourself!" Silver attempted to stand again, but collapsed and entirely missed the futon, landing on the floor nearby.

"My name is Jack. And you're going to lead the scientists right to you if you keep it up." I stood from where I was crouching, feeling his eyes drill into me in the dark. I flicked on a small bedside light, which lit up the room with a slightly dim glow just enough to light up the room. Silver blinked, adjusting his wide golden eyes.

I sort of shrugged. I was still wearing my jeans and shirt from earlier today, but I probably looked as though I hadn't slept in a week.

"You...in the woods..." Silver said, pulling himself back up with the aid of the futon.

"Yeah. Listen, Silver, you need to not draw attention to yourself. My friend Holly and I are going to provide food and shelter for you while you recover, but you have to stay out of sight from our parents." I said quickly. Silver rolled onto his back on the futon, gripping the sides of it hard. "Everything's spinning..." he muttered. "So...I'm safe?"

"As long as you keep quiet and out of sight." I said. "Are you hungry?" I reached for the apple that was still on my bedstand.

"No. I feel really sick..." Silver moaned.

"You need to eat. It'll help you recover." I decided.

"I'll try." Silver said, pulling himself up slightly on the armrest. I handed him the apple, which he looked over thoroughly before taking a tiny bite. After that...well...the apple was gone in under thirty seconds, core and all.

"Do you want more?" I asked.

"No. I...I'm just tired." Silver yawned.

"That's sort of understandable. I'll be up when the sun rises." I decided, climbing into my bed and shutting off the light. "If you need anything, just wake me."

I didn't remember my head hitting the pillow.

** XxXxXxXx**

I awoke to the feeling of my bed leaning slightly to the side. I rolled over and stared into Silver's golden eyes, sleep still clouding my thoughts as to what happened recently. But it all came flooding back in a few seconds.

"Jack?" he whispered.

"...What?" I yawned.

"There's people outside. They're holding guns."

I sprang up, commanding, "Hide somewhere!"

Silver limped as fast as he could back to my futon, where he buried himself in the blankets there. I carefully cracked open a curtain and peered out. At least five people with rifles were milling around my part of the neighborhood. A guy in white was kneeling towards the snowy ground, as though looking at a print.

I backed away from my window, reminding myself that I was suppost to be at school, not here. It would look suspicious if there was movement in any of the windows.

"Are they here for me?" Silver asked worriedly.

"Probably. But they can't find you here." I said, although I doubted that was true.

"What do I do?" he coughed.

"Stop making so much noise." I said. I sat on the edge of my bed and stared at my curtains. "We'll just have to wait until they leave before we do anything."

"That's fine with me. I feel dizzy." Silver said, lying back down on the futon. I must have sat there for less than five minutes before his breathing leveled out and he drifted back into sleep.

I sighed, glad that he trusted me a bit more. Things would be slightly easier now.

An hour went by before I dared to check the window again. A few people were still milling about, but most of them were gone. I left the window and crept downstairs, where I threw together some sort of fruit salad big enough to feed my entire family. I carried the huge bowl back upstairs and set it next to the futon for when Silver woke up. Then I turned the TV on again and faced the news, relying on the subtitles for what was being said.

I eventually ignored what was being discussed onscreen and retreated back to my own thoughts.

If Holly had somehow brought Silver to our world...was there a way she could send him back? If so...how? I'd rather not think of the alternative of him staying here, forever, in hiding.

A random thought struck me suddenly.

What if...somehow...when Silver was teleported here... ...be brought others with him? Others that Holly somehow overlooked?

I faced the cold, hard truth. If there were really others like him, they'd be dead now in cold this extreme. Silver only survived because of the scientists, whither he liked it or not.

A soft clinking sound caught my attention and I turned around to see Silver shoveling the fruit out of he bowl and stuffing his face. He gave me a slightly guilty look, but that didn't stop him from jamming three apple slices into his mouth.

"Eat up. You thirsty?" I asked.

He nodded, continuing to eat. I went downstairs again and got a large glass of water for him, which I carried back upstairs. By the time I reached my room, Silver was already done with the fruit and reaching for the glass of water I had.

"Jeez..." I muttered as he took the water from me and drank the entire thing in at least five gulps.

"Thanks, Jack." he muttered. "I haven't eaten anything like that in weeks..."

"Apparently." I sighed. "Do you want more?"

"No, that was enough." Silver glanced towards the TV that was still on. "Are they still talking about me?"

"Yeah. Mostly. It's all lies...every bit of it." I growled. "So...hey...what's around your neck?"

Silver parted a bit of fur around his neck to show me a glint of smooth metal. "It's some sort of shock collar. Jack...can you get it off of me?"

"I'll see what I can do." I knelt on the ground nearby the futon and examined the strange metal collar around his neck. It was smooth all the way around, no grooves or anything. There was a red dog tag...and underneath that...the only tiny grove in the entire thing.

"Ok, I found something. I'm going to need a screwdriver, though. I'll be right back." I stood and headed downstairs, where I retrieved a small toolbox from a closet. I fished out a small screwdriver and headed back upstairs.

"Don't hurt me." Silver pleaded. "This thing has hurt me enough."

"I'll try not to. But I've never seen something like this before." I admitted. I slipped the screwdriver's head into the grove, putting a bit of pressure on the handle. The collar refused to give for about five seconds, and then popped open when I tried again.

Silver hurriedly took it off, placed it on the floor, and stomped on it with all his might with his good leg. A large crack formed in it, and with another stomp, it was broken down the middle. "Thanks." he said.

"No probablem." I responded. "Now you rest. I'm going to clean up any evidence you were eating in here." I retrieved the glass and bowl he had eaten out of and headed downstairs, kicking the toolbox and screwdriver to the edge of the stairs and returning for them later.

** XxXxXxXx **

A bit later I was staring at the broken remains of the strange collar. The dog tag seemed recent enough...but the technology in the collar itself...

...I had never seen nor heard of it before. It was almost like alien technology.

**XxXxXxXx**

**Ok...**

**So that's that.**

**How's chapter three for you guys?**

**What if Holly really HAD pulled others to Earth, Hmmm? Doesn't that get you thinking?**

**And I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit boring. It's kind of a filler until I can write about the good stuff that's coming up shortly.  
**

**Anyway, more of this is coming sometime next week. Until then...**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4 **

**XxXxXxXx**

** HOLLY'S POV**

** XxXxXxXx**

To put it mildly, getting Silver from Jack's house to mine was no easy task. I won't tell you the long, boring version of it, but I will say that it involved stealing his parents car and lot of backtracking. Jack literally drove out of the neighborhood with Silver, circled the city, and came back to my house.

"Jack, what the hell." I said flatly as he pulled in my hidden driveway and opened the door.

"You never know." he muttered. "Now where's my homework?"

I handed him his work and he handed me a coat bundle. "That's my dad's coat, so I need it back as soon as possible." he said.

"Got it. Did he wake up yet?" I asked.

"Yeah...he should be fine..." Jack cast a worried glance behind him. "Well, I should get going."

"What are you doing stealing the car?! You could have gotten arrested!" I hissed, heading back to my house. It was freezing outside.

Jack got in the car and pulled away, leaving me to get to my room unnoticed. I chose the perfect moment to dart up the stairs and into my room. I placed the coat bundle on my bed, watching as Silver stuck his good leg out and flailed around a bit, trying to find a way out of the prison. About half a minute he sat there, muttering curses and yelling for help until I unzipped the zipper.

"Took you long enough..." he mumbled, staring up at me. "So you're Holly?"

"Yeah. Hi, Silver. We'll have to work out a better system of transferring you around." I sighed, tossing Jack's dad's coat in the corner. It landed on my cat, who hissed and glared daggers at me.

"What's that?!"

I was surprised to see that Silver had backed up sharply on my bed, knees drawn up to his chest as he stared at my cat fearfully. "What is that?"

"That's my cat." I retrieved the black scrap of fur in my arms, scratching her belly. "Her name's Dakara."

"Cat...?" he cast me a confused look.

"Not like Blaze. This is a whole different world, Silver. And unfortunately, hedgehogs look different too." I put Dakara next to him. My cat sort of stared a sideways look at Silver, and said hedgehog returned the odd look.

"They're so different..." he muttered.

Dakara meowed, rubbing against Silver's elbow and purring. "Don't mind her. She likes everyone." I said, laughing as my cat used Silver as a back scratcher. "I'm glad you're already used to him, Dakara, cuz he's not going anywhere." I snickered.

"She wants to play." Silver said, grinning and scratching Dakara under the chin. "And she wants some catnip."

"How do you know this?" I asked, skeptical.

"I can see her thoughts." Silver continued grinning as Dakara climbed into his lap and rubbed her head against Silver's chin. "She calls you 'Food Provider' in her head."

"Wow..." I muttered.

So Silver could even see animals' thoughts. Odd, yet really awesome. I shook my head and closed the blinds around my windows, just in case someone decided to look in. "Silver, if you can read minds...can you sense emotions that have been...I don't know...left in a room?"

"Sometimes, if they're strong. Like here, it's kind of hazy. There's a lot of anger and frustration, but at the same time happiness radiates around Dakara, and it sort of cancels out." he scratched Dakara's ears, earning a deep purr.

I sighed. He was completely right. Dakara usually always took away my anger and whatever other negative feelings I was usually feeling; like a furry ball of stress relief. Loud voices from downstairs caught my attention and I glanced towards my closed closet. "I set up sort of a makeshift bed in there for you. I need you to hide in there until I come back, ok? My parents are arguing again."

Silver half hopped, half limped towards the closet, opening one of the doors and settling on the nest of blankets and pillows I had assembled. "This is nice..." he said, Dakara climbing into his lap again.

I half-shut the door and headed downstairs to a pointless argument, my voice rising in volume every ten seconds until I was nearly screaming.

** XxXxXxXx**

I returned to my room at least an hour later. My left cheek stung from where my dad had backhanded me, but it wasn't as bad as some of the past injuries I had sustained in an argument.

"Silver?" I pulled open the closet door and knelt down towards the white shuddering ball while Dakara meowed. "What's wrong?"

"The yelling," he whimpered. "It's like at the lab... They would yell at each other and at me. Just like that."

I sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. I'll try to keep them quiet."

"You know...?" Silver cast me an odd look.

"Nevermind." I sighed. "Here. It's all I could salvage for the time being." I handed him a water bottle and a half a sandwich.

"Thanks." Silver took it, eating the sandwich while trying to keep it away from the cat.

"They'll be gone soon...after that you can explore the house and such." I said. "But for now...I'd rest and just relax. It'll be a while." I sort of closed the door and sat on my bed, gingerly rubbing my cheek and muttering curses under my breath.

Pointless. Just pointless. Why do I bother with these people anymore...?

Dakara slipped out from the closet, obviously mad that Silver wasn't sharing his sandwich. She hopped into my lap and purred.

Nothing like a cat to take your anger away.

** XxXxXxXx**

My parents and brothers left about three and a half hours later. I went downstairs to make sure they left, and seeing that the cars were gone from the driveway I judged the coast to be clear.

"They're gone." I said loudly. "Silver?"

I went back into my room and glanced into my closet to see two purring balls of black and white. Dakara was acting like a mother, licking Silver's head like she would with kittens of her own. Silver, on the other hand, was fast asleep and purring like a motor. "Dakara, you two aren't even the same species. He's not your baby." I facepalmed. "I know you've always wanted to be a mother cat or whatever... but now you're getting desperate."

I scooped up my cat and moved her out into the hall. Dakara muttered something that was probably as close to annoyance as she could get and ran back into my room and back to her 'baby'.

"Oh great." I sighed.

Dakara, since the moment we adopted her from a pet shelter, was the most gentle, most loving furball you would ever meet. She was also fixed, unable to have kittens. The wierd thing was she seemed to know this. Knowing she was unable to have babies of her own, she took me as her 'kitten'. And it looked as though she found another to adopt. She gave me a look and continued licking Silver's quills clean.

"Ok, then..." I muttered. "I'll be somewhere not here. Possibly downstairs playing zombies." I moved towards the stairs, but stopped.

A funny thought came over me, a thought that brought up sadness and slight anger.

Dakara, my stupid cat, was a better mother than my own.

I sighed and sat down on the top step, sort of staring at nothing until Dakara rubbed up against my elbow, meowing softly. "What?" I asked her.

She licked my hand and walked back into my room, staring back at me as if telling me to follow. I stood and walked back in, kneeling down by Silver as Dakara curled up beside him, licking at the wound on his shoulder. "Dakara, don't do that. It could start bleeding again." I tightened the bandage around Silver's arm. The cat meowed, pawing at his arm and licking the bandage away. I just watched as she took the bandage and bit it in half, freeing Silver's arm. She seemed to stare a the wound, almost as if analyzing it. I blinked and that moment passed as Dakara went on gently licking Silver's arm.

"Well, I guess it's safe to assume that he's safe with you." I rolled my eyes and stood. Dakara meowed in reply and pushed her nose into Silver's face, waking him suddenly.

"Wha...is someone here?" he asked, alert instantly.

"No. Just so you know for future references, Dakara's taken you in as her hedgehog kitten." I snickered. Silver glanced at my cat, who began licking his forehead in reply.

"Ew...Dakara!"

I snickered and went into the hall, looking for the First Aid kit that was in the main closet. I pulled it down and retrieved the gauze wrap and carried it back to my room. As I re-bandaged Silver's arm, I told him, "Silver, I've got to tell you something. I still need answers from you, because there are still unanswered questions in my mind. I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can, but there's no guarantee on anything."

He nodded. "Ok,"

"A little while ago...I had a dream." I started. "It was of the world ending. Fire, flames, destruction everywhere. Not a week later...I had another." I paused here slightly. "I dreamed you were ripped from your homeworld and thrown here. And from here, to a lab. I saw that they were hurting you. And there was nothing I could do. Then you showed up."

He was silent for a long time. The only sound came from Dakara's endless purring.

"Silver, was anyone taken with you? From your planet?"

He shook his head slowly. "I don't know. It all happened so fast...I don't think anyone was beside me when it happened...I think everyone else is safe. And yet..." he broke off, a slight look of horror on his face.

"What?" I asked, a bit worried.

"You said you dreamed of the end of the world, but it ended in fires?"

"Yeah."

The horror on his face grew as he muttered one word. "Iblis,"

I felt as though a lead ball had dropped into my stomach. My worst fear was confirmed. There couldn't have been a coincidence. Had I actually brought Iblis to my world? By simply dreaming about it? Like I had with Silver?

"Holly?" his voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I sighed, staring at my jeans.

"Where exactly am I? What is your world called?"

I gave a nervous chuckle. "It's called Earth. You're on one of the continents. This one's called North America, and you're in a state called Iowa. Riverside Iowa, to be exact."

He gave me a slightly confused look, but didn't ask anything more.

"You don't have to answer this next one if you don't want to." I said. "What did the scientists do to you?"

Silver visibly shuddered, reaching to the healing wound on his arm. "Not everything they did to me was evil." he muttered. "It was just a group of them...there was one person, though..."

"Who?" I asked.

"I never knew her name. She gave me extra food when she could, and she hardly ever said a cruel word. I only once heard her yelling at some other scientists." Silver glanced at Dakara, who was rubbing up on his right side. "She was the one that allowed me to escape. She had short brownish blonde hair, and she-"

"-Had tortoiseshell glasses and blue eyes." I finished. "I saw her before. And yet I can't explain how."

"Holly..." Silver whispered. "Did you see if she's still alive?"

"No. I just saw her looking at you before you turned and ran. After that... Nothing." I said.

Silver nodded, lying back down in the makeshift bed. The quills on his forehead drooped along with his ears as he stared at the floor. "I want to repay her." he murmured.

"Maybe we can." I said. "But now is not the time nor the place. It'll present itself when the time is right."

**XxXxXxXx**

That night was the same as every other night. My parents and brothers arrived late. I was already in bed, Dakara lying over my legs as usual like a furry heater. I scratched her head, listening to my parents' yells and the clatter of unwashed dishes as they argued over why there was a mess in the kitchen yet again. My brothers came upstairs and to their rooms, trying to ignore the shouts that steadily grew worse.

Something moved inside my closet and I glanced over towards the pile of blankets Silver was lying on, catching sight of the two symbols and four bracelets that were glowing a gentle blue around his ankles and wrists. It was good to know his energy was replenishing; his strength returning. Dakara meowed and stood, climbing over my stomach and planted a paw in my face.

"Dakara! I can see him! Relax!" I growled, pushing my cat off of me. She stumbled and fell on her side, but sprang back up anyway.

"H...Holly? When will they stop?" Silver whispered. "It's...horrible. Listening to them argue..."

"I know. But after a while you get used to it." I sighed. "Are you cold? Do you want more blankets?"

Dakara jumped off my bed somewhere. Silver muttered something, but was cut off by a, "Dakara! Ow! I can't walk that fast!" I watched the glowing bracelets grow closer to me until Dakara jumped back onto my bed, landing on my stomach and taking my breath away in a loud "Ooof!"

"Dakara wants us all together." Silver said. "She said that it ends after a while...is that right?"

"Yes..." I moved back a bit to make room for him, pressing my back against the wall. "But do you mind explaining how my cat talks to you?"

"Sure." the bed creaked slightly as Silver's bit of weight was put on it and he settled into the blankets. Dakara lay above my head, licking at my hair. "It's kind of like this..."

Silver put a hand on my forehead and his other on Dakara's head.

"_Hello, Food Provider_."

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Wha...?!"

"_It's me. Dakara_."

"Silver, explain how this is possible!" I tore his hand away from my head. "How am I hearing my cat speak to me...from INSIDE my head?!"

"It's sort of an ability." Silver said. "I've had it since I was born. But it takes a lot out of me."

I noticed that the symbols on the backs of his hands had slightly dulled. Dakara meowed, this time in normal cat-language, and began purring a low purr. "How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm pretty ok. My knee hurts, though." Silver said. "But I don't feel very sick anymore."

"That's good." I put my hand over his forehead and found that the heat that came from him wasn't as intense as when Jack and I had first found him. His fever was nearly broken.

It seemed as though my parent's yelling only lasted an hour or so that night.

**XxXxXxXx **

_There were only white walls surrounding us. We glanced around, but there was no other; just a presence of another person in the room. And yet... there was one of us._

_ The room had no escape. No door. No anything. _

_Just four walls, a ceiling and a roof. All thick as cement._

_ Our power could not breach it. We were trapped. Trapped and waiting for whatever was to come._

_ The room was cold; cold as the air outside the lab. We could see our breath like a fog as it left our mouth, fading out of sight. _

_And it grew colder. _

_Our fur was no match against this kind of cold. Our power was being drained to keep us from freezing. We curled into a ball, trying to keep what little heat we had. The room was suddenly a lot warmer as we approached a slow, freezing death. We didn't care anymore as we slowly lost consciousness to the almost comfortable heat that was an omen of our demise. _

_Before we knew it, a door opened where a wall used to be. _

_Someone entered our prison and carried us out, the heat from their arms burning against our frozen skin. We tried to escape, but our strength was gone. We slowly drifted into darkness. _

_And then it changed._

_ We were back in the room. The exact same one that had nearly been the death of us. We cried for help, for mercy even, but no one came to rescue us. _

_Not even the girl with the tortoiseshell glasses. _

_As we ran from corner to corner of the room, trying to locate an exit, the temperature rose. Before long it felt as though we were trapped in an oven, burning up. Our fur wasn't meant for heat this extreme. _

_We collapsed on the floor, disappointed and a bit scared to find it almost as hot as the air. We singed the side of our left cheek, but all energy we had to move away from the pain was sapped by the heat. We could barely breathe in the suffocating air. _

_Then, just like before, when we thought we were going to die from the cold, a wall opened and we were saved. _

_And then it changed. _

_We were standing on the edge of a cliff._

_ A cliff overlooking a lava flow as it cut through rock and dirt about fifty feet below us. We knew what this was...we knew about it since the day we were born. This was what was destroying our world._

_ These were the Flames of Disaster...Iblis. _

_And it was slowly coming for us_.

** XxXxXxXx**

I awoke in the middle of the night as Dakara stuck her nose in my ear, meowing. I became aware that something that was not my cat was curled close to me, shuddering and shaking madly. It took me a total of three seconds to realize it was Silver.

I had seen his dreams. His memories.

The lab was more evil than he gave them credit for. And his world...the destruction was greater than I would have thought.

"Shhh...Silver...you're safe." I whispered, pulling him close to me. Dakara meowed again, rubbing against our faces.

I saw another flash of nightmare, this one of a man in light green surgical scrubs holding a gleaming syringe filled with something clear. Silver's shiverings gradually began to cease as his dreams became less and less terrifying.

I held him close to me, stroking his back and listening to Dakara's purr. "Oh, Silver," I sighed as I caught a glimpse of the girl with the tortuseshell glasses within his dream. "If we can, and if it means that much to you, I'll help you find out what her name is."

** XxXxXxXx**

I must have fallen back asleep at some point. When I awoke again, the winter sunlight was filtering through the window shades and Dakara was licking her paw on the foot of my bed. Silver, on the other hand, was curled into the fetal position in my arms, still deeply asleep. No sound came from downstairs.

"Must have left early." I muttered to myself, still not totally sure I wanted to get up. Silver didn't move as I sat up and stretched, heading to the bathroom and to get Dakara some breakfast.

After the cat was happy, I headed back upstairs to find Silver still asleep, nestled so far into my nest of pillows and blankets that I almost didn't see him. I put a hand on his shoulder and said softly, "Hey, Silver. Wake up."

He pulled his mind from a dream and blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes to the morning light. "What's going on?" he yawned.

"Breakfast. What do you want to eat?" I asked.

"I like fruit." Silver said. "Like apples and bananas and peaches. When I was with Jack, he gave me a bunch of that all thrown together."

"That actually sounds really good. I'll go make a fruit salad, then." I headed back downstairs.

It hadn't been more than five minutes before there was a knock on the front door. I wrapped my robe around myself and opened the door to find Jack.

"What are you doing here this early?" I asked.

"They're in the neighborhood. The scientists. They're on the other end of the street...but they're headed this way."

"What do we do?!" I demanded.

"That's the thing. I don't know." he said, his voice wavering in worry. "But whatever we do, we have to do it fast."

**XxXxXxXx**

** Eh...not my best chapter by far. I hope it was still pretty acceptable for you guys anyway.**

** Ok, as I was looking at my calender...first trimenster finals are coming up. So that means a slight break in the writing here.**

** So don't freak out over no upload next weekend if there even is one.**

** Also, I just realized I never put any sort of disclaimer in ANY of my stories. So here it is: anyone you don't recognize is mine. Everyone else belongs to whatever category I'm writing for. The end.**

** Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

** Lordoftheghostking28**


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5 **

**XxXxXxXx **

**JACK'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx**

"Like what? What do we do?" Holly asked again.

"Hide him! And let me in! It'll look suspicious!" I sort of pushed my way in the door to be greeted by Holly's cat, Dakara, who gave me an odd look.

"But what about your tracks?"

I mentally facepalmed. I was so stupid. "I...I don't know! Just..." I stuttered.

Holly was already jumping into action. She ran up the stairs two at a time and sort of panicked. She came back down with Silver in her arms, who had a terrified look on his face. "What's going on? Holly? Jack?" he squeaked.

"Go to the basement. There's a room down there that we can hide in...whatever happens, don't make a sound!" Holly darted for the basement door. "And bring Dakara!"

I scooped her cat up and ran for the stairs, slamming the door behind us. We darted down the stairs and headed for the laundry room door, rushing inside and slamming the door. Holly put Silver down and switched a light on, quickly finding a door and pushing it open. We were now facing a dusty, cobweb filled side room. She pushed Silver, Dakara and I inside, switching the light off and following us. She shut the door and we were left in darkness.

"Now what?" I asked softly.

"Shhh! We be quiet!" she hissed.

It didn't take long before we heard voices. The door was broken down as heavy footsteps filled the upstairs. Something shattered. More shouting. Someone came downstairs.

We didn't dare breathe. Whoever it was wasn't alone. At least ten of these people were in the basement, searching for us. Dakara's fur stood on end as the laundry room door was opened.

"Please...oh, please God..." Holly said in a barely audible whisper.

"Anything?" a voice asked, startling us.

"Nothing. Just the heater in there. Doesn't seem big enough for anything else." the answer came from right outside the door.

"Then it's not here."

"But where else could it be? We searched the entire neighborhood."

"Then re-search it!" The footsteps and angry voices faded away as the men headed back upstairs.

We waited for at least an hour before Holly muttered, "I think it's safe."

"I can't sense anything." Silver added. "They must have left..."

"Come on. We have to clean up before my mom sees this mess..." Holly pushed open the door and cautiously exited. I quickly followed, stiff from being crammed in the tiny room. Dakara growled to herself and began licking her tail.

"That was too close." Silver said. "I...I don't want to put you in danger..." he watched as Holly stormed up the stairs, muttering curses to herself.

"You're not going anywhere." I said firmly. "We're going to keep these guys away from you until you're fully healed, wether you like it or not. And after that, we're sending you back to your own world."

A muffled thump from upstairs. These intruders must have done a lot more than I thought. "Come on. She might need some help." I headed up the stairs, Silver and Dakara following close behind. I reached the top of the stairs, calling, "Holly?"

Two strong hands grabbed me, one clapping over my mouth. I was shoved to the floor, someone planting a foot in my back and shoving a gun barrel into my neck. A gag was forced into my mouth. I didn't even get time to shout in surprise. Didn't Silver say it was safe...?!

I quickly glanced around, meeting Holly's angry and fearful eyes. She had met a similar fate. The men that had attacked us were of the army; their uniforms were a dead giveaway. A loud hiss caught my attention. Dakara was blocking he entrance to the basement, a murderous look on her face. I could hear Silver shouting our names, terrified.

With one smooth move, a soldier simply knocked Dakara from the doorway. She hit a wall and fell, unmoving. Holly managed to scream around her gag, anger blazing in her eyes. Three soldiers forced Silver out of the basement, where he was met with five other men. His bad leg gave out and he attempted to crawl away, but a soldier raised his boot and brought it harshly down on his side, knocking him down with a small whimper. Another soldier descended on him, forcing his arms back and locking them in place with an odd pair of handcuffs. He managed to catch my eye before another soldier pulled a syringe filled with something clear out of a box...

_ Jack...! Help...! Please..._!

_I can't! Silver, hang in there! We'll get you out of this, I swear_!

The soldier injected the contents of the syringe into his arm. His wide, scared eyes dulled and fluttered shut as his body went limp. The soldiers picked him up with ease and carried him out of the house.

"That's it." one of the remaining soldiers confirmed. "Knock the kids out and let's go."

What? They're not going to question us? What kind of raid was this?! That meant...they knew Silver wasn't dangerous...and yet they still treat him as though he were a feral animal—

That was my last thought before something pricked my arm and the world went dark.

**XxXxXxXx**

I awoke some time later, unaware of what had happened. I noticed it was dark outside...

What?! Where were Holly's parents and brothers? Hadn't my parents come looking for me? What happened?

"_Holly_?!" I scrambled up, feeling sore and extremely dizzy.

I found her by the wall, cradling a ball of dark fur, rocking back and fourth as silent tears fell down her face. "Jack..." she managed to say. "D...Dakara...they... they killed Dakara...!"

She held her lifeless cat tightly, as though afraid someone was to take her away. Her sobs grew louder as she came to grips with what had happened.

I never knew how much I actually liked that cat. Now that she was gone...I could only imagine what Holly was feeling. That cat was more of a mother to her than her own parents.

I wasn't sure of what I did, but Holly was suddenly crying on my shoulder, whispering something about revenge for killing Dakara and kidnapping Silver.

I had never wanted to agree more with her in my life.

**XxXxXxXx**

** SILVER'S POV**

** XxXxXxXx**

I didn't know where I was for the longest time. I was just in a dreamless, yet painful sleep. I could feel the pain burning in my side and leg, throughout my body. And yet, I could not move. I remained like this for a long time, feeling as though at any second I would find the strength to move. But it never came.

I was finally wrenched from my sleep by a slight clatter. My eyes couldn't adjust to the light and it made my head explode with more pain. I was slightly aware I was lying on my right side, my back pressed to a wall or something stable. My ankles were tied together and my wrists were bound about ten centimeters from my face. It hurt to breathe...I slowly realized I was struggling for breath, not because of my aching side, but from the oxygen mask around my nose and mouth. It was as though limiting how much air I took in per breath. There were also wires covering my sides, head and chest, tangling between my bound wrists and arms. My left arm hurt where someone had stabbed an IV drip into my vein. It was as though someone didn't have the time to make me comfortable and simply threw me on the thin, uncomfortable mattress.

I couldn't tell if anyone was around. The beeps from the machines surrounding me seemed deafening. I managed to squirm a bit, trying to reach the back of my head so I could get the oxygen mask off. The air supply seemed thinner now than it had a few minuets ago...

The IV tube in my arm twisted, sending a bolt of unwavering pain up my arm and ripping a cry from me. I couldn't reach it and adjust it, and my air supply seemed to have reached its end... A warm hand pressed to my forehead as a soothing voice broke my thoughts. The IV tube was moved, cutting off the pain. I managed to make out the form of my savior.

It was the girl with the tortoiseshell glasses.

She skillfully unlatched the mask from my face and I drew in a deep breath...or at least I tried. I managed a weak wheezing sound before she turned, shouting something to another scientist.

What was going on?! Why couldn't I breathe?! She took my hands in her own and whispered something. I didn't make out what she said due to the world darkening... My eyes rolled back into my head. I could barely manage a high whine as I was welcomed back to the darkness.

What was going on? And why didn't I sense the ambush earlier?

**XxXxXxXx**

**AND NOW YOU MUST WAIT!**

**But this is Thanksgiving break, so there should be a chapter for both this and Rise Against by Saturday!**

**Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**

**Also, I have a stupid question...I know everyone says Sonic '06 is a crappy game, but I personally want to try it out for myself. Is it for Xbox 360? Cuz I kinda want an Xbox. Mostly because I want to play Halo 4...but that's a different story.**

**Also Sonic Generations.**

**And Assassin's Creed.**

**I'm odd.**

**Anyway, review! And what the heck do you think is happening to Silver? **

**Poor Dakara...**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

** JACK'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx **

Neither Holly's family nor mine returned. We waited an hour, cleaning up her house as best as we could. We eventually sat on her front porch together, huddled in our coats, watching the cars go by, trying to figure out what to do next.

"We have to go after him." Holly said softly. "We can't leave him with them..."

"But what about our parents?" I asked.

"I honestly...don't give a damn, Jack. We need to go after him. I will go without you if you choose." she stood and headed around towards her driveway. I followed.

"Well, you're not going to lose me here. I'm coming with you."

"Then get in." she pulled open the driver's side door on the black van sitting in the driveway. She pulled a key from the overhead visor and started the motor.

I sat in the passenger's side and hurriedly buckled up. I couldn't help but smile as I did so.

"What?" Holly demanded, backing up sharply and tearing out of the driveway.

"I hope you know where you're going." I said.

"I do. Not funny." she growled.

Excitement flowed through my veins. We were seriously going to do this. In the process, we may even be saving the entire world.

**XxXxXxXx **

**SILVER'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx **

I was still alive. I didn't know how or why, but I was still pretty glad. Although...the only reason I knew I was still alive was because I couldn't move and my side was still killing me. But I could breathe, at least. Even if it was with machine help. There was something sharp in my side too, sending waves of pain over me with every beat of my heart.

I heard voices. I tried to open my eyes, but the light was blinding. I managed to make out the form of two people nearby, but I couldn't see who they were. I instead tried to focus on their voices.

I only made out a few words, but they sounded important to me: "_...lucky...darkness... inside...alive_."

But the thing was I had no idea what they meant by this. Someone smoothed my head quills back, saying something about beginning the tests immediately. The stabbing pain in my side suddenly became a lot more intense, making me try and jerk away from it.

I couldn't escape. There was a shout and the pain dulled back to its original intensity. Something was said about 'not touching the oxygen tube in its side' and 'we need it to recover as fast as it can.'

I forced my eyes open a bit, desperately trying to focus on my surroundings. There were three people surrounding my bed, all wearing lab coats and surgical masks as though I may have a disease. One I recognized...

The girl with the tortoiseshell glasses.

She gave me a sad stare and blinked, looking in another direction. One of the other two scientists jerked a thumb behind him, as though mentioning something on the other side of the room. The last one laughed, glancing from me and towards where the other had motioned. The girl with the tortoiseshell glasses cast them a glance but didn't say anything.

She knelt next to my bed, one hand on my back to keep me calm and still and the other feeling along my windpipe. My throat hurt, inside and out, as though I had gargled nails and I tried to move away. She sighed and stood again, relaying some sort of opinion to the other two scientists. One snickered and the other looked confused.

The two of them moved away, just leaving the girl. She knelt at my side again and said something that I just couldn't hear. She repeated herself, but I still couldn't make sense of what she said.

She stood and walked away. I wanted her to stay; to keep those other scientists away from me. But she was already walking out the door.

I squinted in the direction the scientist had motioned. All I saw was a small bed like the one I was on, only this one had short guard rails. Something was on the mattress...something dark, crystalline and unmoving.

Was...was whatever it was...dead...? There were no monitors around it, unlike me. As I watched, it twitched, pushing itself up on shaking arms. He stared at me, and if he had a mouth, he would have smiled.

I could make out Mephiles' voice as my vision began to fade, "Hello again, Silver. I'm glad you've survived,"

**XxXxXxXx **

**HOLLY'S POV**

** XxXxXxXx **

Granger Laboratory was heavily guarded.

Instead of pulling into the parking lot with a whole hoard of guards, I drove right on by.

"Uh...that was our stop," Jack said.

"Did'ja not see the guards?" I hissed. "We have to park somewhere else and make our way back here."

"In this weather?!" Jack exclaimed.

"Be my guest and wait for me in the car while I go and save our _ONLY DAMN FRIEND_!" I didn't mean for that last part to sound so harsh, but with the anger and sadness I felt bubbling up inside of me...it was inevitable.

"Right..." Jack muttered. "Sorry, Holly."

I circled around the block in silence, parking in an abandoned doctor's office's lot. We exited the car, careful not to make any access noise and headed towards our destination in almost complete darkness.

Only the streetlights guided us. Even getting within sight of the lab was a challenge.

Guards roamed within a mile radius, armed with rifles and other weapons. We were forced to stop and keep still for what seemed like hours at a time before the guards would move and we could continue on.

"This is getting nowhere." Jack muttered. "And look...the sun's coming up. We'll be discovered soon without darkness to hide us."

Had we really been out here all night? I cast a glance at the rising sun, cursing it silently.

We had to move quickly.

"We'll enter from the back of the lab," I decided. "If there's no door...make one. We need to get in."

With that, we sprinted down a couple other streets and ducked behind some dumpsters, waiting for our chance to make a break for it again.

**XxXxXxXx **

**SILVER'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx**

Unconsciousness didn't keep Mephiles away. He simply invaded my mind and my dreams, staring into my soul with those catlike, evil orbs.

"Aren't you surprised to see me?" he asked.

I didn't reply. I instead tried to bury myself in my mind, away from him. But he still followed.

"Don't you want to know how I got here?"

I shook my head, stumbling backwards.

I was suddenly on a hilltop covered in snow, Mephiles nowhere in sight.

"Silver..."

I spun around, the voice all too familiar. Standing against a tree was Blaze, that kind smile on her face. I ran to her, something between a cry of happiness and pure joy leaving my lips. I wrapped my arms around her, sobbing; even surprising myself a little. My knees felt weak.

Blaze sat on the snowy ground, holding me close as I bawled my eyes out. I thought I would never see her again...even in my dreams.

"Silver, relax," she said at last. "I'm not going anywhere."

I still couldn't manage intelligent speech though my tears. I just hugged her tighter, refusing to let go, like the child I was.

"How touching," a cold voice sneered.

Blaze went rigid with a soft gasp. I let her go and realized my hands were soaked in her blood. She toppled forward into me, the wound on her back staining the snow red.

"BLAZE!" I screamed. "_BLAZE! NO_!"

I glanced up to see Mephiles standing beside me, eyes still as haunting as ever. "When we get back to that flame barren world you call home, I will personally kill her in front of you."

I shakily got to my feet, facing the demon. "I won't let you!" I cried. "Never!"

"You and what army? You're weak, Silver! Compared to me, you are nothing!" Mephiles hissed, slowly drawing towards me.

I stumbled back, but he kept advancing.

"But I do owe you answers. Answers to why I'm here,"

He stopped coming closer when my back brushed up against a tree. But his gaze held firm, pinning me in place.

"Your shadow," he began. "served as a temporary shelter. I had never left your side. But as you fell through the rift, I had to find a more durable safehaven."

A few more steps toward me. In instinct, I raised my quills and fur, trying to ward off the larger threat.

"There was nothing at the time to spare me from the time and space distortions. The only thing I had was you...and living as a shadow had its limits. So I bonded myself to your power, letting it draw me inside you. There I remained until you fought me off in the lab."

Still closer. I drew my knees up to my chest and tried another tactic; pressing my ears to my head and lowering my quills to try and appear smaller.

"And because I was with you this entire time, I know everything you know." Mephiles wasn't six inches away from me. I had never felt so panicked...so scared. And yet he drew closer.

"Before we head back to Mobius, I'm going to kill the boy, Jack. Then I will bring Iblis from the rift using the girl. I will kill her as she watches this world fall. And you...I have a special ending for you..."

"...Get away from me!" I shouted, trying to crawl away.

Mephiles grabbed my arm and twisted me around to face him again. "I'm going to send you to your nightmares for an eternity...after watching me kill both the humans and your beloved princess back on Mobius. You will be driven mad from the horrors you have locked away in your mind...the unbearable pain of seeing those you love killed again and again..."

"No!" I cried, struggling against his iron grip. "No!_ No_!"

Someone was shaking me. I became aware of the stabbing pain in my side once again as I was welcomed back from the dream world. I was still shouting, but once I realized I was "safe", I relaxed.

"Just a dream," came the soft voice of the girl with the tortoiseshell glasses. "Nothing to worry about."

She smoothed down the fur on my arm gently, making me relax a bit more. I was shaking as though caught in a snowstorm, but I was calming, however slightly. Just the presence of another person was calming.

I managed to glance towards the bed Mephiles was lying on. Another scientist was examining his crystalline quills, a puzzled look on his face. Mephiles remained still and quiet, unmoving at all. But that didn't block out his voice in my head.

"_Enjoy these last moments, Silver. They will be your last_."

**XxXxXxXx**

**Hurray for short, horribly explained chapters!**

**'And hurray for finals' said no student EVER.**

**I spent the past three days talking to a wall to try and memorize thirty some dates in history...I had better get an A on this final...**

**I'm insane now!**

**Do you know what that means?!**

**IT MEANS THAT GhostKing Screws up Time and SPAAACE V has its first chapter done! IT IS PUBLISHED!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7 **

**XxXxXxXx **

**JACK'S POV**

** XxXxXxXx **

The sun had risen. Holly and I were huddled in an alley, waiting for our chance to duck behind Granger Lab and find an entrance. One wrong move now...and we'd be dead. We were in plain sight.

"Go," Holly hissed, ducking from our shelter and running towards the lab. She made it behind a shadowy, concealed doorway and motioned for me. I stumbled after her a bit less gracefully.

I kicked something, sending a loud BANG echoing around. One of the guards turned and saw me.

I ran for it. He shouted something, but I didn't hear. Holly was pounding down the door...three well placed kicks and it popped open. We rushed inside and I spun around and jammed the door shut.

"Now what?" I asked, almost panicking.

"We need to work really, really fast," Holly said, darting down the hall.

** XxXxXxXx **

**SILVER'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx**

The scientists had left us. I was alone with Mephiles in the room, unable to move. He seemed to enjoy my fear, taking his time from moving from one side of the room to the other until he was directly in front of me.

"Well, if I want to get this plan in action, I'd better start now," his clawed hand gently caressed the side of my face. I shivered. "Do not resist me," Mephiles continued. "Doing so will only lead to more pain."

Fear was flaring up inside of me like the Flames. I watched in horror as he drew back his hand, winding up for a devastating punch to my injured side. He lashed out at me as I braced myself for the hit.

It never came. Instead, his fist seemed to vanish as it made contact with my skin, sending an uncomfortable cold through me. If Mephiles could smile, he would have. He held eye contact with me as he was literally absorbed into my side, the cold feeling spreading to every inch of my body. I shivered, but otherwise didn't feel any different. The cold clouded my mind, making me tired again.

I didn't want to fight it, and I didn't have the energy to. I eventually succumbed to the welcoming darkness, relieved to find that Mephiles still didn't have full control over my dreams yet.

** XxXxXxXx **

**HOLLY'S POV**

** XxXxXxXx **

I turned to head down one of two halls, but found it blocked by a man in a lab coat. I backtracked, running into Jack and nearly pushing him over.

"This way!" I shouted, pointing down the other hallway.

We took of running again, the man shouting for us to stop. There was a door at the end of our path. I quickly threw it open, relieved that it wasn't locked. We ran in and past some researchers bent over a small table, a large and dead frog being dissected in front of them.

"Don't mind us!" Jack managed to gasp out as we ran past. They just sat, stunned, as the researchers that were after us barreled past them.

"Holly...? I...can't breathe..." Jack wheezed.

"Sorry, man, it's either keep running or probably die." I drew in a deep breath and continued on.

We were now in another hallway, this one branching off into several directions. Perfect. I zipped off into the far left one, pulling Jack along with me. There was a door that lead into an abandoned, dimly lit lab...it would have to do. I shut the door and crouched behind a table, Jack doing the same as he fought to catch his breath. Footsteps sounded outside as the scientists ran by. Muffled shouts were heard briefly, but died down rather quickly.

It was now quiet. Too quiet. I could hear my ears ringing and the blood rushing through my veins.

"Now what?" Jack asked.

"We get out and find Silver," I replied, searching the room for another door besides the one we came in.

"Do you have a clue where he is?"

"No...but I'd guess somewhere in the middle of the lab. Somewhere secure..."

No other door in sight, I stood and headed for the one we had entered in. No one was outside. I thanked the heavens and silently exited the lab, Jack right behind me. I glanced around the other hallways, debating with myself which one to go into.

"How about that one?" Jack suggested, pointing to the middle right one.

"Why?" I asked.

"I dunno. It just seems like a good way to go." he shrugged.

"Ok, fine." I sighed. I quickly ran over to the door and tried the handle.

Locked.

"Anymore good ideas?" I asked.

"It was just a guess."

I sighed and picked a hallway at random. This one lead down around a few corners, obscuring our vision from any oncoming threats. It made me feel very insecure. At the end of this hallway was a door. I tried the handle and found it unlocked, much to my surprise. It opened into a lab that smelled of strong disinfectant, making my eyes and nose burn.

A small bed was pushed into one corner, machines stacked around it. The bed was empty. I went over to it and lay the back of my hand on the mattress. It was warm, as though a small extraterrestrial had lain there only minuets ago.

"We're close." I decided, scanning the room for another door.

I found one nestled between a desk and the wall and opened it. It was an elevator... I didn't know where it would lead, but we had to try. I pushed the button and waited for it to climb back to the floor we were on.

Silently, the doors opened and we were in. I glanced around the door, trying to find the button panel. There was only one, beside a open/shut one. It was unmarked.

"Well? Do we press it?" I asked slightly nervously.

"What else can we do?" Jack shrugged.

"There's still all those unexplored passages down the way we came." I reminded him.

"We might get caught if we go back." Jack glanced towards the door to the lab we were in, as though worried someone would burst through at that minute.

"Ok. Let's see where this leads," I pressed the button and waited.

The doors shut and the elevator lurched down. I gripped a side rail; I was never a fan of elevators. After what seemed like forever, it stopped descending and the doors slid open. We were now facing a hallway that curved to the right. Far-off voices were heard.

"Don't make a sound," I warned, silently exiting the elevator and walking over to peek around the side of the hallway. I was looking in a small room. Two scientists had their backs to us and one was facing the other two.

Standing at his side was Silver. He was staring at the ground, leaning heavily on the scientists' hip, but he seemed fine to me.

"What do you see?" Jack whispered. "What do we do?"

"Silver. Guarded by three scientists." I replied. "And as for a plan...I got nothin'."

"Should we just wait?"

"What if they come back to the elevator? We have nowhere to hide."

"Good point," he muttered. "So what now?"

"I dunno...but I have a stupid idea in mind. Take off your coat. We can use these."

We silently shrugged off our coats as I continued. "We run at them and use these as the element of surprise. I know there's three of them and two of us, but we have to try. Maybe Silver will even help."

"Gotcha." Jack nodded. "So...now?"

"Now," I confirmed.

We darted from the corner, screaming a battle cry. The two scientists that had their backs to us were stunned, allowing us to reach them quickly. I threw my coat over his head and punched him in the temple before kicking him forward so he pushed the third scientist over. I glanced at Jack, who already had his enemy out cold. My two were still very much conscious.

A punch to the third's head and he was out. I whipped my coat off of the second one's head and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "What do you hope to do with him? He's not an animal! You can't treat him like one!"

"N...nothing...! We only want to do r-research!" he stuttered.

A punch to the head and he was out. I quickly turned my attention to Silver, who had fallen to the ground, unmoving.

"Silver! Are you all right?" I rolled him onto his back and he twitched slightly, opening his eyes.

"Oh, good. Come on, we can't afford to stay here and longer, and—" I trailed off.

"Holly?" Jack asked, slight fear in his voice.

So he saw it too. I wasn't completely crazy.

Silver's eyes were not his own. They were acidic green surrounded by bright pink. My breath caught. I knew these eyes.

"_Hello, Holly_," Mephiles' voice said from Silver's body. His lips didn't move.

**XxXxXxXx**

**Sorry if you find a boatload of spelling issues and grammar stuffs. **

**The next few upcoming chapters will be the conclusion, and I hope I don't butcher it...**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers.**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8 **

**XxXxXxXx**

** HOLLY'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx**

"Mephiles," I hissed. I couldn't break eye contact with him, mostly because his eyes stared at me from my friend.

"_I've been waiting for this moment a long time_." Mephiles/Silver said, a dark purple aura surrounding his body. He levitated himself into the air and back onto his feet.

"Holly...? What do we do...?!" Jack squeaked.

"We get Mephiles away from Silver." I said. "That's the plan..."

A purple sphere of energy formed in Mephiles'/Silver's hand.

"...part two of this plan is to get out of here alive!" I dodged to the side.

The energy ball hit the ground where I was standing moments before, shattering the tiles. I stared at Mephiles/Silver in shock, and a better plan began to form in my mind. I just hoped Jack would see my logic.

"Is that all you got?" I taunted.

Mephiles/Silver laughed a chilling sound. "_This is only the beginning_."

"Is that so? Silver, if you can hear me, try to get him out of your head!" I shouted.

Mephiles/Silver shuddered slightly, as though cold. Then he straightened and stared at me again, Mephiles' voice stronger than before, "That was a mistake, girl. I have locked him so far away in his own mind he won't have a chance of coming back."

I refused to believe it.

"Yeah? Prove it, Silver!" Jack shouted.

I grinned slightly. Yep, he got my drift. Now it was phase two... I ran at him, fists drawn back for a powerful punch. I caught him in the stomach, Mephiles/Silver coughing and doubling over in pain.

"Such a weak physical body..." Mephiles/Silver snickered. "How do you mortals survive like this?"

"Very carefully." I growled.

I ran at him again, narrowly dodging his counterattack. Another sphere of energy fizzled out against the wall, this time near Jack. "A little help here would be great!" I growled.

"Oh...right..." he muttered awkwardly.

I started circling Mephiles/Silver, not going to give him another chance to attack. He conjured another sphere in his hand, waiting for a moment to strike. With a loud war cry, Jack jumped up behind him and slammed a fist into his head. Mephiles/Silver lost concentration and the energy encased in his hand fizzled out as he lost his balance and fell to the floor.

I pinned one of Mephiles/Silver's arms to the ground, Jack kneeling on the other side of him and securing his other arm. "Leave Silver alone!" I shouted. "Get out of his mind!"

Mephiles/Silver laughed, a horrible sound. "That is not possible."

"Yeah?" I slapped him across the face.

He still continued laughing. "You only harm him. He is my puppet."

"Leave him alone, you bastard!" I snarled, more angry than I had ever been in my life. And then...something happened. A tiny voice in my head...

_Holly...! Please, get him out of my mind!_

Silver was still very much alive; very much still there. I gritted my teeth and dug my fingers into Mephiles/Silver's arm, trying to harm the demon. Another laugh. "If you surrender now I will kill you painlessly,"

Another tiny voice in my head...this shout stronger and full of anger...

_ You...will not...KILL THEM!_

Mephiles/Silver went rigid, eyes widening and staring at the ceiling. His eyes shut and he began to struggle wildly, nearly breaking free of Jack and I.

"Silver!" Jack shouted. "Come on, Silver!"

It broke my heart to not be able to do anything. I could only keep Silver from hurting himself as he struggled for control over his own limbs. His eyes flared open, startling me enough to loosen my grip and stumble backwards. One of his eyes was its normal golden colour...the other purple and acidic green. His golden eye was pained, the other, emotionless. I only got a second's glimpse before he curled into himself and wrenched his arm away from Jack, writhing in pain on the cold tile ground. His mouth was open in a silent scream.

"Silver..." I grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him into my arms, locking him in my embrace; trying to deaden his pain. His entire body shook uncontrollably and choked scream managed to rip itself from his throat.

I shut my eyes, feeling a small tear fall from one. I finally had a plan...but if one thing went wrong, it would be the end of my world as I knew it...along with me.

** XxXxXxXx **

**JACK'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx **

I had no idea what Holly was doing. She just sat on the ground, holding Silver tightly as she rocked back and fourth. He began to calm down...I wonder who had won the fight over his mind: him or Mephiles.

Holly stood, leaving Silver curled on the ground, unmoving. Silence covered the room for a long time. "Holly...? L...let's get him and get out..." I stuttered.

Holly chuckled. Something about her laugh made my breath catch in my throat and my mouth go dry. She turned slowly and locked her eyes with mine. Her once gentle blue-green eyes were gone. Mephiles must have jumped through Silver to her. His demon eyes stared from her face.

"Perfect. _Now I can_ complete _my plan._.." Something about his voice...before it was only his voice coming from Silver...now Holly's voice intermixed with his and her lips moved along with what he said.

It wasn't a full possession... Mephiles/Holly shut his/her eyes, and a lead ball seemed to drop into my stomach. I knew what he was planning to do. This must have been his plan all along...

If Holly could rift Silver to our world...then Mephiles could use her to rift Iblis...or possibly something worse.

I balled my hands into fists and growled, "You leave her alone! Don't make me mad!"

Mephiles/Holly burst into laughter again. "What _would you_ do? If you _harm me, you_ harm her." He was right, and yet I refused to believe it.

Instead, I stared into his/Holly's eyes and said firmly, "Holly, I know you're in there. Give him a reason to fear us."

Mephiles/Holly burst into laughter again, this round more maniacal and forced...filled with the tiniest bit of fear?

It was hard to tell. "She _is fully under_ my control. This _Holly you have_ come to know is _no_ more."

**XxXxXxXx **

**SILVER'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx**

My...my head...

...Everything's too bright...but I'm free. I felt as though someone had kicked me in the chest. I couldn't seem to draw in enough breath and I hurt everywhere. I slowly opened my eyes, blinking hard against the sudden brightness.

I could see two blurry, standing figures...some more were slouched against the wall, unmoving. I painfully pulled myself up slightly, lifting my head from the ground. The two figures were clearer now...Holly and Jack.

Mephiles was nowhere in sight. "H...Holly?" I coughed, my voice rough and my throat feeling as though it went through a blender.

She didn't turn. She only stared at Jack, who returned the gaze. Then she laughed a horrible sound and raised her arms towards the ceiling, chanting something in Mephiles' voice.

"...No!" I gasped, struggling to get up. I tried to use my power to throw Holly off balance; to distract Mephiles, but my strength was completely sapped.

I couldn't do anything. I could only watch as Holly crumpled to the ground, Jack barely catching her before she hit the tiles.

A dark shadow jumped from her body to the floor, building itself up in darkness again. Mephiles laughed triumphantly as the entire room began to shake as though a small earthquake had struck. The room buckled and a fissure opened between Holly, Jack, Mephiles and I, completely cutting me off from them.

I curled into a ball, trying to keep the debris from raining down on my head. From the giant fissure came a loud, terrifying sound... A sound I hoped to never hear again.

Iblis.

Mephiles was going to succeed.

**XxXxXxXx**

**Sorry about the late update! I was having computer troubles all day!**

**Also there's probably going to be two chapters left of this!**

**And I survived the end of the world! It was close though...zombies everywhere!  
**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!  
**

**Lordoftheghostking28  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

** XxXxXxXx**

** HOLLY'S POV**

** XxXxXxXx **

I was locked away in my own mind. I couldn't move my limbs or even breathe on my own anymore. But Mephiles still allowed me limited sight from my eyes; to see what he had caused.

I watched as the room split and thousands of feet below the ground a fiery monster was clawing its way up.

It was now or never.

I began to fight back, throwing up mental blocks and random thoughts while my consciousness struggled for control over my arm. If I could free just one limb...

"What are you doing?" Mephiles growled inside my head. "Stop!"

I just kept thinking of the most random things I could at the time, which were 'Meatloaf! Strawberry pudding! Minecraft! Sporks!' I had to distract him...

I visualized the most horrifying images I could, most of them involving creepy monsters I just made up myself. Mephiles hesitated...and I saw my chance. I had control over my arm, and I was practically mind bonded to the demon possessing me.

I knew what I had to do.

I raised my arm and said quickly in another language, "Go back! Go back to the fiery depths of your own world! This one to you is untouchable!"

I could hear Mephiles screaming in rage, trying to retake control over me. My mental blocks were wearing out...it only was a matter of seconds.

"Jack! Take Silver and get out!" I shouted before my own voice was ripped from my consciousness.

**XxXxXxXx**

** JACK'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx**

"HOLLY!"

How had she done that? How COULD she have done that?!

I didn't waste a second and scooped up Silver, who was slowly waking up and not quite ready to run for his life.

"Jack...? No, we have to save Holly! She locked Iblis out of your world! We have to save her from Mephiles!"

"We can't! I don't know what to do!" I shouted.

"I do!" he struggled against me, eventually slipping out of my arms and stumbling back towards Holly.

"Silver, no!"

He glanced back at me but didn't hesitate any more. He stared down into the fissure Mephiles and Iblis had caused, as if summing it up. I sure hoped he wasn't thinking what I thought he was thinking.

"I'll save you, Holly!" Silver said before pushing her backwards into the fissure. He followed shortly after.

I swear he read my thoughts.

"No!" I screamed, running to the edge. I could still see the portal...it was open...that meant...!

I didn't even think about it. I just jumped, hoping I would land on something that wasn't sharp.

**XxXxXxXx **

**SILVER'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx **

We were back on Mobius. All around me, fires raged inside a fallen city. The sky was dark with smoke and smog and not a single soul was around besides Holly, Mephiles and I.

I turned and faced them, getting into a fighting stance. "Mephiles...leave her alone. Take me instead if you desperately crave another host."

He/She laughed. "_I've already tried for what I wanted...and failed. The girl, the boy and you are no longer necessary_." Mephiles/Holly conjured a sphere of dark energy in his/her hands, still staring directly at me, unblinking.

I tensed up, preparing to dodge. Something fell through the portal, catching Mephiles/Holly and throwing his/her balance off. The sphere fired from their grasp, spinning wildly into the air until it struck a building, sending the remaining skeleton of it up in flames.

"Leave her alone, you demon!" Jack hissed, struggling up and staring Mephiles/Holly in the eyes.

"_Or what_?"

Jack didn't say anything. He just kept staring, unwavering. I saw my chance and jumped into the air, roundhouse kicking Mephiles/Holly and sending him/her to the ground.

**XxXxXxXx **

**HOLLY'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx **

No... No, I couldn't let this happen...

I could see Mephiles's every thought...every memory.

Jack's family along with mine... They were dead... Killed by the scientists and the armed guards.

But there was something worse I couldn't let happen. I couldn't let Mephiles conjure the energy to revive Iblis again.

There was only one thing I could do, and that option was permanent...no way to reverse.

I would have to close the portal, locking both Jack and I in Mobius. And I would have to do it now.

**XxXxXxXx**

** Sorry for the short chapter this time, guys. The final one is next, and I needed a short, suspenseful one right here. **

**Oh, and thank yous to everyone who reviewed and such! And I'm sorry I haven't mentioned this before, but this FanFic has nothing to do with my other story, The Flames of Time. They're slightly similar, true, but they've got nothing in common. **

**Hasta la Vista, Readers! **

**Lordoftheghostking28 **

**P.S., The Matrix is a good movie...I saw it last night.**


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

** XxXxXxXx **

**SILVER'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx **

Mephiles/Holly struggled up from where I had kicked him/her to the ground. A smirk appeared on Holly's face, but I knew she still wasn't in control of herself.

"Bring it!" Jack shouted. "Come on! If you're really as powerful as you think you are, do something!"

Mephiles/Holly laughed and began advancing towards us, one hand out in front of him/her. A sphere of purpleish blue light was growing in his/her fist, electricity crackling around it.

A flash of movement caught my eye. From the portal came a figure dressed in a lab coat. Her short brown hair flew around her face that was contorted in rage. With a loud shout, she slammed a fist into Mephiles'/Holly's temple, throwing off his/her concentration.

It was the girl with the tortoiseshell glasses.

"Leave her alone, demon!" the girl growled. "Leave her alone!"

Mephiles'/Holly's eyes grew wide and he/she managed to choke out, "_How...?! How is this possible_...?!"

The girl turned back towards the portal and shut her eyes, one hand pointing towards the thing connecting the two worlds.

"_No! No! NO_!" Mephiles/Holly screamed, lunging towards the girl.

I saw my chance and attacked, protecting the girl and throwing Mephiles/Holly back. Jack stood by my side, unsure of what was happening.

When I turned around again, the portal was gone.

**XxXxXxXx **

**JACK'S POV **

**XxXxXxXx **

How did she do that?! One second, the portal's there...and the next...it's gone.

"How...?" I managed to say, but she cut me off.

"No time to explain. We need to get Mephiles away from Holly." the girl reached into one of her lab coat pockets and pulled out something that seemed to be covered in ice.

Mephiles'/Holly's eyes widened at the sight. "_Put that down. You don't know what you're dealing with_!"

"Leave her alone or return to the Scepter of Darkness." the girl hissed. "It's your choice."

Mephiles/Holly snarled, eyes flashing dangerously. "_Fine._"

Holly stumbled, the demon characteristics leaving her features. Her eyes returned to normal as the dark shadow slipped from her body, disappearing into the ground. I was the first to her, barely managing to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Holly! Holly! Speak to me!" I shouted.

"Stop yelling...Jack..." she moaned, blinking in the light. "I...I didn't close the portal...who did...?"

"I did." the girl with the tortoiseshell glasses said. "And not a moment too soon."

"Guys? He's still here..." Silver growled, whipping around to face Mephiles again.

The girl held out the Scepter in front of her, chanting some unknown language. Mephiles stood and laughed, sizing up our small and practically helpless group.

"You're bluffing. You don't know how to use it."

"Well, it was worth a good try." the girl hissed.

"I will spare you if you hand over Holly. I can guarantee her safety, but only if you act now." Mephiles continued.

"No freaking way." I shouted. "If you want her, you have to go through all of us."

"Very well." Mephiles said, heading towards us at an alarming speed.

He never reached us. A stream of fire interrupted his path, blocking us from him. He collided with the flames, darkness dissolving in the light as a terrible scream rose. But...I thought he and Iblis were one? Why was fire harming him...?

My answer came shortly. Silver glanced towards the direction of the fires, a shocked look on his face. "Blaze?!"

The violet cat ignored him, shouting, "Run! I'll catch up with you later!"

"Come on!" the girl with the tortoiseshell glasses pulled me along, Holly trying to keep up with us.

We dodged around buildings and debris until we came to a large crater in the concrete, a perfect spot to hide. We ducked down and waited. "She found us! Blaze did it!" Silver silently cheered.

He glanced at the girl with the glasses, saying, "I really never found out your name...You saved me and all...I guess I was just too busy. So what is your name?"

The girl sighed, staring down at her shoes. "You wouldn't believe me if I said."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She stared at me for a few seconds and then looked away, taking her glasses off her face and looking back to me again. "Familiar?"

It clicked... But I refused to believe it.

"You're...You're...Holly..." Silver gasped. "But...how?"

"You're me, in the future?" Holly asked.

"Yes." Future Holly said. "And I'm sorry to say that we together will never return to Earth, Jack. Not you, anyway."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because...you'll be dead." Future Holly put her glasses back on. "You died to save me. And I swore I would avenge you. I only recently found another portal to rift me back to Earth...and I must say, it was quite effective. I did all I could."

"How...how did I die?" I asked. I felt light-headed.

"Mephiles." Holly spoke up. "It has to be. Right?"

Future Holly nodded. "You nearly destroyed him. It was close...but in the end you were only fueling the fire."

With hardly a sound, Blaze the Cat dropped down in front of us and motioned for us to follow her. "I know a place where we can stay. Mephiles won't bother us anymore at the moment...but we still have to move quickly."

The next few minutes were a blur. All I could think about was my future. I would die to protect Holly...? Only when we stumbled upon an old shack did my mind clear. Future Holly glanced from her younger self to me, as if thinking.

"I could try to open the portal again...but there's no guarantee on anything."

"Yes." Holly said. "Do it."

I almost agreed. But something held me back. I could change the future by sparing my own life and sacrificing Holly's. Yet, if I did that, there's no telling what would happen. "No," I said. "No...this is the path we are on...I don't want to destroy it."

"But Jack..." Holly looked stunned.

"You heard." I said. "And besides...we know what to expect now...right?"

"I don't." Silver growled.

"There isn't much to tell." Future Holly said. "Only...I have to return to my own time before it catches up with me. I can't stay long...I've already torn holes into space and time."

"How?" I asked.

"By simply letting it take me back. This is beyond my power...I was fighting to keep myself in this time." Future Holly sighed.

"So...you're leaving now?" Silver asked.

"I have to."

"Then...Thank you. For everything." I nodded, Holly echoing her thanks.

"Jack," Future Holly glanced at me. "Take care of us."

She was surrounded in a dazzling white light that slowly engulfed her, teleporting her back to her own time.

We were left in silence.

"...Can someone explain what just happened?" Blaze asked awkwardly.

"Later, maybe." Silver said. "Right now, we need to keep moving. We need to get as far away from Mephiles as we can."

He and Blaze went up ahead, scouting the area. Holly and I stayed where we were, unsure of what to do next. Besides, if you just received news from your friend's future self that you were going to die, you'd be in a bit of shock too.

"So...no Earth anymore." Holly said at last.

"Not for me, anways." I said.

"I'm actually glad I don't have to go back there." Holly nodded. "I think if I went back, I'd be sent to live with my uncle. I hardly know him...and besides, I was at a dead end anyway. My family is dead...my cat is dead..."

"I wouldn't have been able to go back to my house." I admitted. "Besides, a change of scenery here, it's for the better."

"Even if it's on fire." Holly sighed. I nodded.

"Living your nightmare wherever you go, aren't you?"

"I've gotten used to it already."

I didn't say anything. Only when Blaze motioned for us to follow did we move. I caught Holly's hand in my own. She glanced at me with slight surprise, but didn't try to pull away. I took that as a good sign.

"No matter what will happen in the future, at least we have each other."

**XxXxXxXx **

**THE END **

**It sucks. **

**I'm sorry, this story sort of fell apart. **

**Oh, hey, I wrote romance...? **

**Eh...it still sucks.**

** On the bright side, I got Sonic 06... I LOVE THAT GAME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE HATE IT. I use fricken' cars as weapons! I'm a Jedi!**

** Sorry for the randomness. **

**Ok, now that this story is FINALLY over, I have two more FanFics to write. **

**One is the sequel to Rise Against. It's called Endgame. **

**The other is called The World is My Enemy. And you're gonna just have to read the description on that one. :D **

**Have a happy new years! **

**Hasta la Vista, Readers! **

**Lordoftheghostking28**

**PS: EvilChalkBoard, I have written SSBB stuffs!  
**


End file.
